Sen. Mike Oliverio(D-Mon) seeks to change WV Dem platform...

[CrownPrinceBandar]

from Pro-Choice to Pro-Life. He states in a Feb 7, 2004 letter to the Beckley-based Register Herald that:

"Is it possible to be both pro-life and a Democrat? The very essence of the party is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Who is more defenseless than the unborn child?"

*snip

"Many of our most loyal party members are privately and publicly pro-life because of their Democratic ideals. This is why a vast majority of Democrats in the state Senate are pro-life. To this end, the West Virginia Democratic Party needs to open this subject for discussion."

*snip

"Pro-life advocates make a case that life is sacred, that abortion is "choosing" to kill a child. Pro-choice advocates make the case that there is not a life to kill, and therefore they are not ending a child but merely performing a medical procedure. There in lies the dilemma. Until we can agree when life begins, we will not come to a conclusion."

*snip

"But that very point reinforces why the West Virginia Democratic Party should not continue its hard-line pro-choice only stance. Until the argument of when life begins is settled for all Americans, I believe we must take the cautious road and not encourage abortion. I hope we can all agree that our state would be a better place if we could reduce the number of abortions."

http://www.register-herald.com/articles/2004/02/07/editorial/97edit58.txt (may have to register to see online content)

There has been other evidence that the WV Democratic Party have been changing their stance on abortion as early as 2000. For example, the "Choice" section of the online WV Dem platform (which I was told reflects the platform as it stood in 1996) states:

"We affirm the right of every woman to make a free and unrestricted decision regarding reproduction. We oppose government intervention in personal decisions that every woman has a right to make for herself. We encourage and support public and private programs to provide women with the widest array of safe and healthful choices."

http://www.wvdemocrats.com/party_platform/party_platform_health_resources.php

As opposed to the platform adopted July 1st, 2000 which turns the decision over to the SCOTUS:

"Reproductive Rights: We support the decisions of the United States Supreme Court regarding the right to make choices regarding reproduction. We encourage and support public and private programs to provide women with the widest array of safe and healthful choices. We oppose late term abortions unless medically necessary to save the life or the health of the mother."

Sorry, no link for that one. The quote was contained in a copy of the party platform dated July 1, 2000. These were handed out at the WV Dem party public meetings during this past week. Contact the party for a copy.

I'm gonna keep digging on this issue. I encourage y'all to do the same. Please give a call to Sen. Oliverio and let him know how you feel. Here's his contact info:

Capitol phone: [phone]
Business phone: [phone]
[e-mail] <--- I guess all WV senate emails go through this address.

Props to DU'ers ann_coulter_is_a_man and wallybarron for alerting me to this.

[movonne]

1. This is just fine with me....I am pro choice but just because we are

democrats does not mean we all think alike.

[David__77]

2. However, I would not promote anti-abortion rights views.

Everyone has the right to their views, but I would strongly fight any attempt to water down or obscure a pro-choice position in the name of "unity." I welcome the support of anti-choice people, but I won't bend my views to theirs in the least.

[wallybarron]

3. Oliverio

This would be a major break with the national party. Oliverio should just change his party. The Republicans have a platform that would support his views. Pro-choice is about more than abortion. Everyone would like to reduce the number of abortions. Anti-choice groups in WV oppose "real" sex ed, the "cover my pills" bill, and access to emergency contraception.

Callaghan out as party chairman come August.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. But it would appear that there are a lot of pro-life Democrats in WV

Why else do they keep electing pro-life Democrats to office?

[wallybarron]

5. Good Point

That's a very good point. Although polling in Raleigh and Wyoming Counties before the 2002 election showed people were overwhelmingly pro-choice Russ Weeks won the election on an anit-choice platform. Choice does not seem to be a voting issue unless you're anti. Meanwhile, Jack Spadaro still doesn't have a job, the mountains are being leveled, rivers polluted, and Massey is raining coal dust and drying up wells. Mike Ross and company are giving 750,000 dollars to a golf course.

Go ahead and take choice out of the platform. Most of these same people are against gay rights also. Let's not support that either. Joe Manchin says most West Virginians want the Ten Commandments posted. Go for it.

As long as they have that all important D by their name what difference does it make?

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. So what you're saying is

that pro-choicers don't feel strongly enough about the issue for ot to effect their vote, but pro-lifers do?

[wallybarron]

7. Who knows?

The active pro-choice community in WV is very small. 500 West Virginians did turn up in Washington for the march. However, I've never seen most of them actively involved in Charleston. Most of the anti-choicers that show up for pro-life day are women that don't work and home school their children for religious reasons. They meet at church every Wed and Sun. The pro-choice community is scattered among CAGS, WVEC, OVEC, and supposedly DREMA DEMS. No one much shows up for hearings. No one much shows up for gay rights hearings. West Virginians for Life are extremely well organized and well funded. I think the most important aspect in WV is sex ed. 52% or 55% of the babies born in WV last year were Medicaid births. I don't think the abstinence programs are working. A lot of so called "pro-life" legislators are just whores gathering votes from the right wing community. They could care less about abortion, flag burning, etc.

Yeah, I guess that's what I'm saying. Choice might not be an important part of the WV Dem platform.

[davidinalameda]

8. it won't happen

the incoming state chair said that the plank won't be taken out because they're basically afraid that pro-choice people will stay home in November

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Columns/2004060613

Because both the Democratic gubernatorial nominee and the party’s presumptive new state chairman are anti-abortion, speculation in the past week has been on whether there will be an effort to remove a pro-choice plank from the state Democratic Party platform at the state convention this weekend.

Not likely, says Nick Casey, Joe Manchin’s choice to serve as party chairman.

“My expectation is, there won’t be anything like that going down,” he said.

“It’s just not the time to be divisive,” he said. “We can’t be fighting with each other.”

[wallybarron]

9. Right time????????

When would be the right time to be divisive?

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. After Manchin is living in the Governor's mansion

:shrug:

[davidinalameda]

11. there are still some pro-choice legislators who will fight this

if it comes up

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. Do you think that they will be able to stop it?

:shrug:

[wallybarron]

13. Pro-choice legislators

14 to 18 in the House, maybe Brooks McCabe in the Senate, not many out of 134. On the UVV bill 2 votes against in Senate. Larry Rowe isn't coming back.